Benefits of Taking Antidepressants During Pregnancy Outweigh Risks, Expert Says

According to Psychiatric News Alert, The Voice of the American Psychiatric Association and the Psychiatric Community, an expert on women’s health has reported that the Benefits of Taking Antidepressants During Pregnancy Outweigh Risks. According to the alert, As conflicting studies about the risk of birth defects in offspring of women who use antidepressants during pregnancy […]

Managing the Suicidal College Student: Advice for Community Providers

A long and thoughtful article in the Psychiatric Times from November 23, 2015 discusses the problems of college student suicide and provides “advice for community providers.” This is obviously a clinical as well as a forensic psychiatric issue. We are providing a link to the original article here for the interest of our blog readers. […]

Depression Literally Colors the Way We See the World

An interesting finding: According to a recent Huffington Post article, “Depression Literally Colors the Way We See the World,” feeling states affect our capacity to perceive color tones. This article was based upon a scientific study that was published recently in the journal Psychological Science entitled “Sadness Impairs Color Perception.” As supportive anecdotal evidence, an […]

Expert Testimony in Zoloft Lawsuit Ruled Inadmissible

Experts for the plaintiffs were prepared to testify that Zoloft caused birth defects in humans, but US District Judge Cynthia Rufe found the scientific opinion supporting the connection to be unreliable and inadmissible during trial. Read article here: Expert Testimony in Zolo…ible | ExpertPages Blog  

(Suicidal) Depression can be treated but it takes competence: Kay Redfield Jamison PhD

In the wake of Robin William’s tragic death, Professor Kay Jamison PhD wrote a stunning piece on depression and suicide in the NYTimes on 8/15/14 (see http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/16/opinion/depression-can-be-treated-but-it-takes-competence.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3As%2C%7B%221%22%3A%22RI%3A5%22%7D&_r=0)  Her basic premise is that suicidal depression is treatable but it requires a competent psychiatrist. Furthermore, mental health treaters are a heterogeneous lot and there is no consistency of […]

Study Finds That Common Lab Test Can Help Predict Antidepressant Treatment Response

A widely used lab test for inflammation, C-reactive protein, may help differentiate between serotonin responders and norepinephrine responders, thus reducing the trial and error time for antidepressant medication treatment. See Study Finds That Common Lab Test Can Help Predict Antidepressant Treatment Response

Risk for Psychiatric Disorders Increases After Head Injury, Study Finds

This is a striking Danish study showing the strong association between head trauma and subsequent psychiatric illness. The Voice of the American Psychiatric Association and the Psychiatric Community THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014 Risk for Psychiatric Disorders Increases After Head Injury, Study Finds Studies on the relationship of head injury to later development of psychiatric disorders have produced […]

Genetic Variants in Depressed People Raise Suicide Risk

Researchers have identified five gene variants that raise the risk for suicide attempts in people suffering from depression

Can Depression Change Your DNA?

Can Depression Change Your DNA? By Psych Central News Editor       Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on July 31, 2008 Thursday, Jul 31 (Psych Central) — New research points to significant modifications of an important gene that suggests depression may play a role in changing the very makeup of the brain.Researchers at the […]